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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

Steve Zemantic, a carpenter at Pratt & Whitney East Hartford holds up a sign at a rally near headquarters in East Hartford, Conn., Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010. The jet engine maker says it will shut two plants when its labor contract expires Sunday. The last strike against Pratt & Whitney was an 11-day walkout in December 2001.

Wooden pallets are no longer the only option for manufacturers when shipping and receiving goods to customers and from suppliers. In this installment of "Food Fight," from sister publication Food Manufacturing , industry experts go head-to-head on the topic:
Wood Pallet Alternatives: Plastic vs.

Akro-Mils (Akron, OH) has introduced a smaller-sized bin and new rack design for its Easy Flow Gravity Hopper system. The smaller and lighter 31620BLUE hopper has a six-gallon holding capacity. According to the company, the other features of the system includes:
A large, angled top opening that allows for easy filling.

The Mini Mark, from Kwik Mark (McHenry, IL) is a portable dot peen marking system designed for both handheld applications and integration into existing and new machinery. Preloaded leadscrews and ball slides help increase performance and durability. The detached controls feature the latest in embedded technology, with CF card storage and network (LAN) and RS-232 connectivity.

Stahlin (Belding, MI) now offers Non-Metallic Enclosures in their J Series enclosure line. They offer 14 standard size options from 3x3” to 24x16”. According to the company, they are designed to be reliable and durable while protecting delicate systems in industrial environments.

Parker PAGE International Hose (Fort Worth, TX) has developed the Stainless Steel Braided Convoluted Hose Assemblies in SCW and SCWV designs. The tubing in these assemblies is made from virgin PTFE in natural or static dissipative style in order to provide better flex life. According to the company, the hoses show no signs of stress cracking after 1 million cycles of flex testing.

The use of fresh cut vegetables for foodservice has seen significant growth in the past few years, driven by hygiene regulations, customer preference for fresher meals, and convenience factors, such as quicker cooking times and reduced prep time.
However, innovative new packaging and processing developments are essential to the industry‘s further growth.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Applied Materials Inc. has settled industrial theft claims from Samsung Electronics Co., agreeing to give the South Korean electronics company discounts on purchases of semiconductor manufacturing equipment for three years.
Applied, a U.S. company which makes equipment for chip manufacturers, says the settlement announced Tuesday resolves claims and potential litigation over the "alleged acquisition, misappropriation and misuse" of Samsung computer chip technology.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's factories cut production for the fifth straight month in October, the government said Tuesday, but the decrease wasn't as bad as expected and a turnaround may be on the horizon.
Meanwhile, unemployment worsened slightly and consumer spending fell in October, showing improvements for average households may still take time.

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors Co. has added 700 workers to its Oshawa, Ontario, factory near Toronto to make the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro convertible muscle car and the new Buick Regal midsize car, the company said Monday.
Camaro convertible production is scheduled to start in January, while the plant will start making Regals early in the spring.

ZURICH, Switerland and FORT SMITH, Ark. — ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, and Baldor Electric Company, a North American leader in industrial motors, have agreed that ABB will acquire Baldor in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $4.2 billion, including $1.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Workers at jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut fear they may be running out of time to prevent job losses.
The Machinists union beat the subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. in federal court earlier this year, preventing it from shutting two engine repair shops and shipping 1,000 jobs to Columbus, Ga.

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is replacing the pumps that cool the hybrid system in 650,000 Prius cars — the Japanese automaker's prized green vehicle — in a new blow to the automaker's reputation for quality.
Toyota Motor Corp. spokesman Paul Nolasco said Tuesday the fix is needed in Prius cars for model years 2004 through to 2007.

Despite the continuing recession, The Garland Company, Inc., a mid-sized roofing manufacturer headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, has been the recipient of several achievement awards in 2010.
In May, the company was honored with a Manny Award from Ohio’s Inside Business magazine.

The ZE series of 600 bar electric pumps from Enerpac (Milwaukee, WI) have been engineered to save power and increase reliability by reducing the number of moving parts it incorporates, according to the company. The enclosed, fan-cooled electric motor supplies extended life and stands up to harsh industrial environments.

Wahl Instruments Inc. (Asheville, NC) has announced the addition of the HSI3000B to its line of Heat Spy Thermal Imaging Cameras. The system has been designed for building diagnostics, making it ideal for thermographers and building maintenance staff alike. The HIS3000B has a temperature sensitivity of 0.

The LS Barge pump, built by Ruhrpumpen (Tulsa, OK) is a vertical, self-contained pump with a primary self-priming first-stage impeller capable of handling products for efficient stripping. The vertical unit requires minimal space and handles a large variety of petroleum distillates and other materials.

Interview with Derric Brown, Director of Sustainability, Evergreen Packaging Packaging sustainability continues to be an important issue for food manufacturers. Improving sustainability can be as simple as the choice of packaging, whether it be can, plastic bag or cardboard box — each package has its own benefits.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — On the losing end of a $1.3 billion jury verdict for stealing a rival's intellectual property, SAP AG is facing the difficult decision about whether to double down — by appealing — or folding.
Either route is going to cost the German company dearly, and will have implications for how other technology companies approach copyrights.